Published
Mon, Jun 2, 2003, 02:21
The Pharmacy Australian tour kicked off last week with the Pharmacy vs Hard Kandy party in Melbourne. The tour is to promote the release of the new Pharmacy CD Harder, Darker, Dirtier Vol. 1 mixed by A*S*Y*S and Hellraiser. RA recently interviewed German DJ and producer A*S*Y*S about his career thus far and the tour. For fans of all things acid and trance dont miss this tour when it hits your city. Click the link below to read the interview.
Pharmacy Australian Tour
Friday 6th June - Plastic, Sydney
Saturday 7th June - Advent*Jah, Brisbane
Saturday 14th June - Pharmacy vs Hard Kandy @ REBAR, Geelong
Pharmacy delivers A*S*Y*S to save your soul
For Melbourne aficionados of hard trance, tek trance, and acid trance, Pharmacy, the club night, has been the place to hand over a prescription for the darkest and dirtiest sounds around. Now, to take the movement to the masses and celebrate close to two years of serving up the world’s most talented DJs, the lads behind the Pharmacy counter are releasing a double CD.
Pharmacy – Harder, Darker, Dirtier Vol. 1. features compilations mixed by local wizard Hellraiser and German acid trance master A*S*Y*S. The mischief doesn’t stop with the CDs though. Coinciding with their release is a national Pharmacy tour that not only includes the sinister thrills of Hellraiser, but also goes to the trouble of flying in the great A*S*Y*S for the festivities.
For A*S*Y*S, otherwise known as Frank Ellrich, the past thirteen years have been a wild journey from humble beginnings making electronic music as a hobby to international dance chart success. After moving from his home town of Marburg in 1990 to the spiritual home of trance, Frankfurt, Frank found himself mesmerized by such legendary techno clubs like Omen and Dorian Gray, and artists like Love Parade pioneer Sven Vath.
Not content to just watch and dance, the inspired Frank soon set out to make his own music, albeit on some very primitive equipment. Laughing, Frank lists the gear he initially purchased to begin his musical quest. “An old Atari computer with one megabyte of RAM and a Synthesizer called “Microwave”. To add to the tale, it was only after he’d purchased “Microwave” that Frank discovered it was just a sound module and didn’t come with a keyboard. A further investment in a Roland D10 (now an early techno sacred relic) had to be made before the inspired Frank could devise his own musical creations.
Create Frank did, and in 1994 his passion also became his profession. After striking up a close friendship with emerging record label impresario Kai Tracid (now famous for the massive Tracid Traxxx label), Frank took on the pseudonym, Formic Acid, and later that year A*S*Y*S (acid save your soul). Club success followed with Frank weaving his magic across Europe in such dance bastions as UK superclub Storm and Holland’s perennial groove mecca, Dance Valley.
In 1999 Frank added to his club dominance with some serious chart success. Teaming up once again with producing genius Kai Tracid, Frank dished out a bevy of tracks, including cult hits Acid Headcracker and Acid Nightmare. Acid Nightmare in particular captured the feet of the European dance crowds and shot up to #5 on Europe’s generic dance chart, where it stayed for a full month. A*S*Y*S had arrived.
Now Australian lovers of all things acid and trance have a chance to sample the talents of A*S*Y*S courtesy of the upcoming Pharmacy tour, which kicks off in Melbourne on the 30th of May, and then moves on to grace Sydney, Brisbane, and Geelong. Looking forward to his second trip to Oz, Frank promises to deliver his trademark energy and enthusiasm. “I’m absolutely keen to present my recent set and the Pharmacy stuff to the party crowd! And I hope to see many people from the last time, because they know how to celebrate!”
Get in early and let A*S*Y*S save your soul.